Tony Kirkham, a former Kew Fellow, says in the foreword that this book will raise awareness of the challenges facing the natural world.

The book has over 300 entries and is a real doorstop, weighing in at 5 pounds. The images are considerably larger than the text, taking up over 3/4 of each page, in the style of Phaidon’s landmark 1999 The art book.

Each page has a three-quarter image and a description. From Romans to Monet to Hockney, via Dr. Seuss, Kahlo, Grant Associates and Van Gogh. This is an eclectic book to dive into, full of distractions and beauty.

From prints to botanical art, paintings to photographs: trees are depicted in all sorts of ways. Many articles highlight different aspects of the tree nursery, for example in a black and white photo showing the shyness of the crown.

The book is more art than literature, more coffee table work than academic, and therefore the ideal gift for the nature-loving aesthete.

This is the 10th title in Phaidon’s Explorer series, along with Plant, Flower and Garden, and is an essential addition to the group.